Ferdinand von Mueller

Office of Lands & Survey,

Melbourne, 4th. November1872.

Sir,

I am directed by the Honorable the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey to forward the accompanying memo and to state that he has approved of the arrangements therein specified by me for the expenditure of the vote for £1500 for buildings, fences and other works for botanical gardens and adjacent reserve.

1

A copy of the file was 'handed to Secretary for Agriculture'.

Baron von Mueller

Director of Botanical Gardens

&c. &c. &c.

Melbourne

[Memorandum]

3

Filed with M to J. Casey, 24 October 1872.

I regret to hear from various quarters that my report relative to the future management of the Botanical Garden, the Government House Domain, and State Nursery,

4

C. Hodgkinson to J. Casey, 14 August 1872 (in this edition as M72-08-14).

(and which was written very reluctantly by me, and solely in compliance with a positive order of The Honorable The Commissioner of Lands and Survey that I should state in writing my views relative to the reserves in question), is considered by Baron Von Mueller to be hostile to him; and that its adoption by the Cabinet and Parliament will be ruinous to the Botanical Garden. I beg therefore to state emphatically that in giving expression in such report to my humble opinions on the action to be taken for solving the difficulties which had occurred between Baron Von Mueller and Mr Ferguson relative to the supervision of such reserves, I was actually by no motives inimical to Baron Von Mueller, or adverse to his interests as Govt Botanist, and scientific director of the Botanic Gardens proper.

Baron Von Mueller's chief complaint appears to be that the division of the vote for workmen has compelled him to reduce to ten the number of persons employed under him (exclusive of twenty orphan boys); and that of such ten men only two can be retained as gardeners, the other being employed on clerical work, carting &c.

As the stoppage of the distribution from Botanical Garden of arboreal plants and flowering shrubs to public institutions, and the consequent cessation of his correspondence with public bodies will very much lessen the clerical work, and that of the custodian of seeds, I venture to express my belief that there is now no necessity for so large a portion of the employés in the Botanical Garden being assigned work unconnected with its maintenance. In the estimates a sum of £1200 is provided for Gardeners, operator, and laborers in Botanical Garden and £120 for reward to Orphan Boys employed in Garden; also £1100 for gardeners and laborers in Govt House Domain, and £45.10.0 for reward to Orphan Boys employed thereon. As Baron Von Mueller states that, since the commencement of the present financial year until 24th October only one man, Gulliver, has been regularly employed in the Govt House Domain with very few of the Orphan Boys, the Botanical Garden proper will during the months of July, August, September, and three fourths of October have had the benefit of the services of 10 men whose wages for such period will be a charge on the vote for labour in Govt House Reserve — This virtually increases the vote available for labour of clerks and gardeners in Botanical Garden from £1200 to about £1557, and correspondingly reduces the vote for labour in Government House Domain from £1100 to about £743, as arrangements will be made for the wages of the men who were not transferred to the Govt House Domain until 24th October having made a charge for the whole financial year commencing on 1st July last against the vote of £1100 for labour in Govt House Domain — | I beg to suggest that Baron Von Mueller be so informed; and that, with reference to his remark on Thomas Morrison, that man can be forthwith transferred to the Government House Domain on the understanding that it is Baron Von Muellers wish that he should be so transferred and be ordered to report that he is so transferred to the foreman of work on that Domain. I think it is to be regretted that Baron Von Mueller has not retained the services of J. Watters who has so long had charge of the class ground and green house in the Botanical Garden instead of the services of one of those whose duties are of comparatively a clerical nature.

With reference to the vote in the Estimates of the Department of Public Works for £1500 for buildings, fences, and other works In Botanical Gardens and adjacent reserves . I think that the recent vote for the improvement of the Government House Domain will enable a greater part of the vote for £1500 being expended within the Botanical Garden proper than was proposed in my report of 19th August. Still a considerable sum must be taken from such vote for fencing required in the Govt House Domain; and I therefore beg to submit what I consider a fair distribution of such vote.

2/11/72.